Hong Kong’s Local Consciousness in Xi Xi’s “My City”

Abstract

Ellen Cheung, known by her pen name Xi Xi, is a highly esteemed writer who has held a prominent position within Hong Kong’s literary and cultural landscape for several decades. Xi Xi’s novel “My City” is a seminal work that explores Hong Kong’s local consciousness. It primarily focuses on the people of Hong Kong in the 1970s, depicting their daily lives, such as moving houses, going on outings, and seeking jobs. Thereby, it presents an unprecedented and strong sense of local identity. The novel is imbued with warmth, optimism, and positivity, expressing the Hong Kong people’s identification with their local identity and their heartfelt attachment to Hong Kong as their home through the voice of innocence. This paper examines the local consciousness in the book from two perspectives: textual analysis and the socio-historical background. The expression of Hong Kong’s local consciousness by Xi Xi in “My City” is of great significance as it injects vitality into Hong Kong literature and significantly promotes the deepening and development of Hong Kong’s local consciousness in its nascent stage. Thereby fostering cohesion and a sense of belonging among the people of Hong Kong and collectively striving for the city’s future. This article promotes understanding the unique value of Hong Kong’s cultural identity and provides references and insights for future research.